Power wheelchair with guard for playing sports

Abstract

A power wheelchair with guard for playing sports for eliminating G-Force effects and improving safety. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports includes a frame assembly; a mobility system including drive wheels and casters upon which the frame assembly is mounted and also including a motor and a power control module for actuating the drive wheels; a seat assembly being secured to the frame assembly and including a seat support member and a seat; and a guard assembly being attached to the frame assembly and extending forwardly thereof.

I claim: 
     
       1. A power wheelchair with guard for playing sports comprising:
 a frame assembly; 
 a mobility system including drive wheels and casters upon which said frame assembly is mounted and also including a motor and a power control module for actuating said drive wheels; 
 a seat assembly being secured to said frame assembly and including a seat support member and a seat; and 
 a guard assembly being attached to said frame assembly and extending forwardly thereof, wherein the frame assembly includes a base frame having a front, back and sides, and also includes wheel guards attached to said sides of the base frame and extended about at least a portion of said drive wheels to prevent said drive wheels from riding up over objects and tipping over, wherein each said wheel guard includes guard attachment members attached to a respective said side of said base frame and extending outwardly therefrom and also includes an arcuate tubular member attached to said guard attachment members and circumferentially extend above and radially aligned with at least a portion of a respective said drive wheel. 
 
     
     
       2. A power wheelchair with guard for playing sports comprising:
 a frame assembly; 
 a mobility system including drive wheels and casters upon which said frame assembly is mounted and also including a motor and a power control module for actuating said drive wheels; 
 a seat assembly being secured to said frame assembly and including a seat support member and a seat; and 
 a guard assembly being attached to said frame assembly and extending forwardly thereof, wherein said base frame further includes an elongate caster support member pivotally attached at and forming a part of said back of said base frame and having a main portion and curved end portions, wherein said main portion of said elongate caster support member and said back of said base frame are disposed generally parallel to a line interconnecting the axes of the drive wheels and are disposed rearwardly no more than 10 inches from the axes of said drive wheels to better avoid obstructions and maneuver in tight areas, wherein said frame assembly also includes a bracket attached to said elongate caster support member and further includes a fastener to adjustably fastening said bracket to said base frame when said elongate caster support member is pivotably raised. 
 
     
     
       3. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports as described in  claim 1 , wherein said seat support member has a back end which is pivotal attached to said frame assembly thus forming a pivot point. 
     
     
       4. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports as described in  claim 3 , wherein said back end and the pivot point of said seat support member is disposed less than 10 inches behind a vertical plane passing through the axes of the drive wheels to substantially reduce the G-forces upon a user spinning the wheelchair and to position the user at the axis of the spin. 
     
     
       5. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports as described in  claim 3 , wherein said back end of said seat support member is adapted to be disposed less than 15 inches above the ground to substantially stabilize the wheelchair. 
     
     
       6. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports as described in  claim 3 , wherein said seat support member is substantially planar and is configured to have a length as measured from said back end to a front end thereof less than but within 3 inches of a distance measured from a person's tailbone to the person's back of the knee to create stability for the user. 
     
     
       7. The power wheelchair with guard for playing sports as described in  claim 3 , wherein said seat assembly further includes adjustable bracket members being fastened to said base frame and to said front end of said seat support member to raise, lower and support said front end of said seat support member relative to the ground and to the base frame, each said adjustable bracket member having holes being spaced along a length thereof for receiving fastening members to adjust the position of said front end of said seat support member.